A wildlife rehabilitation group were worried they were dealing with two dying vultures when they came upon the birds "unable to balance" and "passing out," they said in a post to social media. But, it turns out they were just drunk after "dumpster diving," the group said.
A Place Called Hope posted a message calling the vultures "the dynamic duo" after they found the birds just before last Monday's eclipse on April 8 "literally drunk," the group said.
The birds were said to be unable to stand up and workers initially thought they were "actively dying."
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The small species is listed as threatened and protected under the Game and Wildlife Code and as a priority species in a U.S. Wildlife Action Plan.
Rescuers said they ran every test they had, but they still couldn't figure out why they couldn't fly, until later assessing that they must have consumed an intoxicating substance while foraging through rubbish for food.
After the confusion, the scenario became a bit more of a laughing matter, and A Place Called Hope posted images of the birds appearing to recover comfortably secure in blankets and sheltered.
It was unclear if they were experiencing any hangover, but the group said they must have decided to celebrate the eclipse a day early. Rescue workers said that drunk vultures are not easy patients, and they said they weren't sure if the birds learned any lessons in the end. "Birds don't let other birds fly drunk," they said.
